Photo courtesy of Curtis Thompson
Curtis Thompson, an assistant track and field coach at Spain Park High School, has qualified for Team USA’s track and field team after competing in the 2024 Olympic Trials on June 23. Photo courtesy of Curtis Thompson.
Curtis Thompson, a teacher at Spain Park, appeared in his second Olympics early Tuesday morning, competing in the javelin qualifying round.
Thompson was not able to advance past the qualifying round, finishing 13th in his group. In the U.S. qualifiers, which Thompson won, he was able to throw more than 272 feet. Today, his best throw was a little more than 252 feet.
The finals will be held on Thursday. But, Thompson has accomplished much already.
Thompson, who lives in Birmingham and helps coach track and field at Spain Park High School, won his fourth U.S. javelin title in June.
“It’s a feeling of relief, joy and happiness,” Thompson said in June. “You work really hard to get to this point, and this is a step to the future goals that we are looking toward.”
Thompson grew up in New Jersey and competed collegiality at Mississippi State University. He moved to the area in 2020 and has been coaching at Spain Park since, in addition to working with other local javelin throwers.
“It’s been wonderful having them supporting me and on my side; they’re really understanding of what’s going on,” Thompson said of his fellow coaches and athletes at Spain Park.
The dynamic of coaching athletes while pursuing his own athletic dreams ahead of him is something Thompson has enjoyed.
“It’s exciting being able to help and push and encourage them in their own career, as they do for me,” he said.
As opposed to Tokyo, in which the crowd was limited due to the pandemic, Thompson is excited to get over to Paris a little early and enjoy the area before competing in front of a crowd.
Having that experience while representing his country is something Thompson doesn’t take for granted. He currently holds the third-furthest javelin throw in U.S. history.
“It’s an exciting feeling. It’s one that I cherish and I’ll be able to cherish for the rest of my life,” Thompson said. “But to continue to wear USA on my chest and compete at a high level, I look forward to competing well and making sure everybody’s proud of what I’ve done.”
Follow Thompson’s journey on his Instagram page, @curt_thompson.
